While government funding bills are supposed to originate in the House, Schumer said the Senate may have to act first to avoid a government shutdown.
“Later today, I’ll file cloture on a legislative vehicle that will enable us to prevent a Trump shutdown in the event that the Speaker does not work with us in a bipartisan, bicameral manner. Both sides are going to spend the next few days trying to figure out the best path remaining for keeping the government open,” Schumer said on the Senate floor.
With federal funding for many departments and agencies set to expire on Sept. 30, Johnson and other House GOP leaders have yet to unveil a plan B that could actually pass.
A six-month funding stopgap tied to legislation that would require proof of citizenship for voter registration failed Wednesday by a vote of 202 to 220, with 14 Republicans voting against it.
Democrats call the voter reform bill a “poison pill” that can’t pass Congress.
Many lawmakers in both parties also say they aren’t interested in punting the annual spending bills for fiscal 2025 until March.
Former President Trump urged Republican lawmakers ahead of the Wednesday vote to let the government shut down if Democrats don’t agree to stricter voter registration rules.
“If Republicans don’t get the SAVE Act, and every ounce of it, they should not agree to a Continuing Resolution in any way, shape or form,” he wrote on Truth Social, referencing the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act.
Schumer, Johnson, Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (N.Y.) still have time to negotiate a three-month funding resolution over the next few days.
But time is running short.
The Hill’s Alexander Bolton dives deeper here.
